Ever since vehicles, implements or other loads were to be transferred from one location to another by towing there was the requirement that they be connected or coupled together. Problems arose when the load to be towed was of a considerable size and weight. The points of connection were invariably not lined up and therefor the connecting could not be completed. Often many attempts had to be made for alignment or the towing vehicle or the towed load had to be moved until alignment was achieved to enable coupling. These procedures generally involved two people and sometimes produced disastrous results.
Many attempts have been made for alignment by providing sighting means, funnel shaped guides as well as jointed connecters and other means. The devices known to applicant which are considered the most closely related are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,176 and Canadian patent 946,873.
The patent "176" teaches a vehicle with a towing bar, a telescopic arm received in the bar for longitudinal movement and an articulating arm pivotally connected to the telescopic arm for lateral pivoting movement. Once the connection is made and tension put on the hitch the arms line up and the anti pivot collar is slid back to prevent pivoting of the pivoted joint. The telescopic arm may also be fixed in a desirable position in the towing bar. Applicants device differs in that the longitudinal and lateral movement for hookup are provided by a free floating tongue followed by guided movement of the tongue in the tongue support in the initial stage plus a wedging action by engagement of wedging faces on the tongue with wedging faces on the tongue support in the final stage before lock-up of the tongue and tongue support by insertion of the lock-up draw pin which passes through the tongue and tongue support.
The patent "873" teaches a hitch mounted on a towing vehicle with a moveable tongue supported in a tongue support for controlled lateral and longitudinal movement for hook-up. Both movements are controlled by a pin passing through the tongue support and simultaneously through a slot in the tongue. As previously pointed out applicants device differs in that the longitudinal and lateral movements required for hook-up are provided by a free floating tongue followed by a guided movement of the tongue in the tongue support followed by a cooperation of wedging faces on the tongue with wedging faces on the tongue support which places the tongue in the lock-up position to receive the lock-up draw pin for a completed hook-up.